Angela Rayner has dismissed the claim the Equality and Human Rights Commission is a "failed experiment", contradicting a senior Labour member who attacked the watchdog after it was announced it would investigate the party's antisemitism crisis.
Labour shadow education secretary was responding to Huda Elmi, a member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), who tweeted on Wednesday that the EHRC should be abolished, adding that if it ceased to exist, "most of the people it was created to support wouldn't even notice".
This was after the EHRC had announced it would probe dossiers submitted by the Jewish Labour Movement and the Campaign Against Antisemitism, detailing Jew-hate among its members.
Ms Elmi later insisted her comments were not related to this, saying there was a "desperate need for conversation about EHRC’s purpose & how to reform it".
Ms Rayner told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: "I don’t think it is a failed experiment. I don’t think it should be abolished. I think they should have the resources to do their job effectively.”
The EHRC announced its investigation on Thursday morning, as the JC reported it would on Wednesday.
Am EHRC spokesperson said: “We believe Labour may have unlawfully discriminated against people because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs.
"Our concerns are sufficient for us to consider using our statutory enforcement powers. As set out in our enforcement policy, we are now engaging with the Labour Party to give them an opportunity to respond.”
